Compact privacy fence kit including mating fence components and a kit storage and transport case

ABSTRACT

A compact privacy fence kit for serial temporary use at different locations which includes a case to transport fence components to be assembled and installed to provide a temporary privacy fence assembly, the privacy fence components including, a) a set of rigid fence poles of a generally common length, b) a set of mating spanning fence panels, c) and structure to connect the poles and panels together to assemble them as a privacy fence rapidly and easily.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a privacy fence and, more particularly, to a compact kit for transporting and selectively, easily and rapidly erecting a portable privacy fence at a temporary location. The kit includes a storage case, which is sized and configured to house a plurality of light weight, mating, privacy fence components, while not assembled and installed, so that the components can be stored and conveniently transported from place to place in a relatively small space, for example, in a trailer which has relatively little storage space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In addition to the storage case, the privacy fence kit constitutes a set of mating fence poles and a set of pole spanning fence panels. More particularly, it comprises a) a set of a first number of poles of common size and shape, and b) a set of non-see-through privacy panels of pliable, weather resistant material of a number which is one less than the number of poles. When the panels are stacked one on top of the other, the panels can be rolled into a tubular shape defining a through recess in which the set of poles are adapted to be positioned in aligned relation to one another. This package of fence components, comprising the sets of mating poles and panels, can be conveniently stored and carried in the storage case while not assembled, in storage and available to be erected quickly and easily to provide a privacy fence for temporary use.

In erecting a privacy fence, the package of fence components is first removed from the storage case. Then, the panels, which are relatively thin, and preferably of plastic sheet material of generally rectangular shape, are removed from about the set of poles. Thereafter, each pole is connected to one of the panels by a first connection means, to be described; and this combination of a pole and a panel constitutes a fence section. The fence sections are serially installed in the earth in a line in equispaced, side-by-side, relation, that is one next to the other. The sections are connected together by a second connection means which completes the installation of the temporary privacy fence.

The first connection means results from a) the opposite side edges of each panel being folded back upon themselves with the terminal marginal edge zone overlaying and being stitched to the panel proper, which defines a tunnel structure sized to receive and captivate a fence pole and resist a tension force tending to pull the opposite panel side edge laterally away from the captivated pole in the tunnel structure. When each fence pole is mated with a panel, the resulting plurality of fence sections are connected together by a second connection means preferably by the second connection means described in the next paragraph.

The second connection means comprise mutually inter cooperating hook and eye means, known and commercially and available from several manufacturers, one brand of which is sold under the registered trademark, Velcro Strips of the hook and eye means are secured along the respective opposite outer main surfaces of the tunnel structures along the panel side edges. The extra pole, of course, is in the end post of the fence.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many travel vehicles, such as a motor home or trailer, which, in use, are parked for relatively short time periods during which there is a desire or, indeed, a need, for some privacy near the vehicle, for example, while sun bathing. However, such vehicles have limited storage space; and, thus, it is impractical to store and transport conventional privacy fence components during a trip from place to place to be erected and re-erected for use at a series of temporary locations. In the past, there have been temporary fence structures to address special needs; however, the problem of resolving the need referred to above has not been resolved, namely, the need for a light weight and compact privacy fence kit composed of mating fence components which are sized and configured to be stored in a compact and orderly fashion in a mating transport and storage case, container or bag while in transit from one place to another and which components can be erected as a privacy fence for temporary use easily. This need has not been addressed or resolved by past specialized fence structures for large animals, such as one for walking horses or for training horses within a temporary enclosure at a horse show, or one such as a temporary coral for cows.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is a general object of this invention to provide a readily transportable and compact privacy fence kit which occupies little space when the fence components are in the kit for storage and transport, and, when not stored, are adapted to be interconnected and erected into a privacy fence quickly and easily.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a temporary privacy fence assembly including A) a plurality of privacy fence components comprising: a) a set of rigid fence poles of a generally common length, b) a set of mating spanning fence panels, c) means to connect the poles and panels together to assemble them together as a privacy fence, and, preferably, B) a matching generally cylindrical storage bag which is sized and configured to contain the components in a compact arrangement when not assembled into a fence storage in a relatively small space.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a privacy fence kit composed of a storage bag and fence components which components, when not in use, are housed within the storage bag in a compact arrangement. The components are composed of a plurality, or set, of fence poles preferably of a common length and preferably of light weight material, such as aluminum, and a companion set of fence panels. The components are provided with means to connect the poles and panels together to form a privacy fence. The storage bag of the kit has an upper terminal end zone defining an insertion mouth for the components, a second closed end zone spaced from the open mouth a distance slightly greater than the common pole length, which structure defines a storage bag floor with a wall between the end zones of the bag and the floor; and the upper terminal end zone of the bag includes a closure means. The poles are tubular and of an overall length of between about five feet six inches and about six feet two inches and one end of each is preferably tipped. The panels are of a pliable, see-through, preferably plastic, material in a generally rectangular sheet form, and include means to receive a pole in a tunnel structure in their respective adjacent edges, as is described more fully hereinafter. Appropriate indicia comprising guide means to assist one in assembling the components may be included.

Without intention of being limiting, it is accordingly a general object of this invention to describe structure which is simple to install as a fence, which can be stored and transported readily in kit form in a small space and which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and use,

DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are here described generally in the following figure descriptions and in the written description, or specification part of this application, in which like reference numbers designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a house trailer with the privacy fence erected and installed adjacent thereto.

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the privacy fence, which has been assembled and temporarily installed.

FIG. 3 is a pictorial view of the kit case or bag with the fence components in it for storage and transport.

FIG. 4 is a view in cross section taken on the plane indicated by the arrowed line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view of a fence pole illustrating a preferred lower end construction.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the lower end zone of the fence pole of the preferred pole end of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view in cross section taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, a trailer is generally designated as 10 and the privacy fence by the numeral 12. The fence is composed of a set of fence panels 14, 16, 18 and 20, see FIG. 2, and a set of rigid fence poles 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30.

The fence poles are each of a common length between about four feet six inches and about six feet and six inches. Referring to FIG. 5, each pole has an upper end 9, a lower end zone 44 which converges to a pointed tip 45 for ease in driving it into the earth, and a central zone 25 between the upper end and lower end zone. The fence poles are of light weight material such as an aluminum alloy.

Referring to FIG. 2 the panels may be of closely adjacent, alined strip form material such as interconnected bamboo strips or wood strips, or an opaque plastic sheet material, the latter being indicated in the drawings. In a preferred embodiment the panels may be provided with indicia to aid orientation of the panels relative to the poles for use in assembling the fence, and some may be designated indicating the top and right and left side panel edges. Generally the panels are of non-see through and pliable material to comprise a non-see-through screen like panel which can, not only be stacked, but which, when in stacked form, can be rolled into a cylindrical roll. Each panel is rectangular in shape and is of a common size. Each of the side edges of each panel, see at the numerals 32 and 34 in FIG. 7, are turned back and their terminal edges are stitched to the panel, or otherwise fastened to it, to form a side edge tunnel structure 36 and 38, one along each side of each panel. Preferably, each tunnel structure has a pair of outer surfaces, one outer surface generally coplanar with one main surface of a panel and the other outer surface generally coplanar with of the other main surface of the panel. Preferably each of these tunnel structures are of a length along each panel edge which is at least equal to that of the common length of the central zone of the poles. Thus, these tunnel structures are adapted to receive a fence pole and their structures comprise a first connection mrans.

This first connection means is used to connect a pole to each panel to assemble separate fence sections. It is seen in the drawings to be composed of one pole in one of the tunnel defining structures of each panel. The pole is inserted into the tunnel structure into a somewhat captivated or seated position in it. The combination of a pole in one of the recesses of a panel constitutes a fence section. In assembly, the fence sections are positioned in side-by-side relation, vertical orientation, and in a generally common plane.

The fence sections are connected together by a second, or section, connection means. It constitutes mating hook and eye means on the outer surfaces of the tunnel defining structures along each of the panel edges. This provides means so that the fence sections may be easily connected together. These hook and eye means are engaged and the fence is easily erected; and may be disassembled by reversing the process inherent in the above description.

Referring to. FIG. 6, preferably, the lower zone of each pole is provided with a swingable pedal 46 as at 44 which may be rotated about a picot means connection 47 for use to push the pole into the earth by a foot of a person.

Referring to FIG. 3, the storage case is designated 40; and its handle is designated 42. The upper end zone of the case preferably includes tie string means 50 composed of a tie string in the upper margin of the upper end of the case to be drawn to close the upper end of the case into a closed mouth.

While this invention has been shown and described in what is considered t be a practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures can be made which are nevertheless within the spirit and scope or this invention; and, therefore the following claims should not be limited within the range of the doctrine of equivalents. 

1. A fence kit for erecting a privacy fence at a temporary location including; privacy fence components, and a storage case for the components, A. said fence components comprising, a) a set of generally tubular rigid fence poles, comprising a first number of poles and an end pole, each pole having an upper and a lower end zone and a central zone between the end zones, said poles being of a generally common length between about four feet six inches and about six feet and six inches, said lower end zone of each pole converging to a pointed end for easing insertion of the lower end of each pole into the earth in spaced fence defining relation relative to one another; b) a set of pole spanning panels to span adjacent poles, each of said panels being of pliable, non-see through material and of a common rectangular size, the number of panels corresponding to the first number of poles; and, said set of panels being in a stack and rolled into a tubular form about said poles comprising a package with said poles and panels being in generally coaxial relation, and said panels of said set each having a first and a second opposite main surface, an upper edge, a lower edge, and a first and a second side edge, c) first connection means to connect each panel and a pole to form a set of fence section; and d) second connection means to connect the fence sections together in generally side-by-side fence defining relation, B. said storage case being elongate and sized and configured to receive said package, said case comprising a) a first, normally open end zone defining a package insertion mouth, b) a second end zone spaced from said first end zone a distance slightly greater than the length of said poles, and c) a closure means at the first end zone to close the mouth when the package is within the case,
 2. The kit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first connection means comprises each of said side edges of each of said panels being folded back upon the first main surface and means securing the side edges to the panel adjacent the side edges comprising a pair of through recess defining structures for each panel, each recess structure being sized and configured and of a length to receive one of the poles, and, when one of said poles and one of said panels are interconnected together comprising a fence section, each of said recess defining structures having a first and a second surface coplanar with the respective first and second main surfaces of the panel.
 3. The device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said second connection means comprises mutually interoperable means on each of the surface portions for interconnecting the sections each comprising a panel and a pole.
 4. The device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said second connection means comprise hook and eye means.
 5. A privacy fence comprising the components as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of the panels has orienting indicia means comprising a guide for interconnecting said components in mating relation, section by section to form a privacy fence. 